Barbara Windsor’s co-star and friend Pam St Clement was ‘horrified’ at rumours that she’d been avoiding the actress since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Pam, who played Pat Butcher in Eastenders, appeared on Loose Women today and spoke out about claims she hasn’t been to see Barbara, despite the pair being long-time friends and colleagues.

Barbara, who played Pat’s rival Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014 and Barbara’s husband Scott Mitchell made the news public earlier this year.

Pam, 76, told the Loose Women panel: “When that article came out when they actually did the multi-part article, I’d only just got back I think. I’d been away.

“And he [Scott] let everybody know, her closest friends what was happening and the article was coming out.

“And I said: ‘I think you’ve done exactly the right thing’.”

Pam continued: “Everybody was great about it, and they’ve been very supportive. And as you quite rightly say, Scott has been wonderful.

“But I was horrified and very angry to see an article that basically said, ‘Pam St Clement fears for poorly pal Barbara Windsor, Pam has sparked new fears for ailing Dame Barbara. It’s been revealed she hasn’t been allowed to visit her pal because Bab’s Alzheimer’s disease got worse, any plans to see her have been put on hold because she’s poorly’.”

Furious with the claims, Pam protested: “Anyone who knows me would know I wouldn’t use the words ‘ailing’ and ‘poorly’. I’m not my great grandmother.

“Basically what happened is someone misinterpreted the fact that we had to three times change our plans to meet up.

“First time I discovered I had to do something work wise, Scott then had to go see his dad, then I had to cancel last week. I’m seeing her in a couple of days,” she added.

Barbara’s brave husband Scott opened up about his wife’s health earlier this year.

“I want the public to know because they are naturally very drawn to Barb­ara and she loves talking to them,” Scott explained in an interview with The Sun.

“So rather than me living in fear she might get confused or upset, they’ll know that if her behaviour seems strange, it’s due to Alzhei­mer’s and accept it for what it is.”

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